The MillionDollar Debt
by Nate Saberfang
Summary: What really went on the day Chance and Jake were discharged from the enforcers. R


**Hey Hey Hey everyone! This is a first time deal for me... **

**Anywho now its time for the Disclaimer Crap: I do Not own the Swat Kats, or the background plot for this chapter... when will i write the second one? I Couldnt tell you**

**Read... Review... just do it!**

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**The Million-Dollar Debt**

**By Nate Saberfang**

Five sonic booms reverberated throughout MegaKat City's financial district, shattering panes from the taller buildings; the more established businesses.

"Shit!" growled Commander Ulysses Feral, slamming his fist on the delicate controls of his aircraft. He instantly regretted his decision as the ship lurched out of the sky. Struggling to regain control, he hailed the rest of the squadron.

"_This_ _is Feral… the city's going to want some megalomaniac for the damages…"_

_T_here was a burst of static

"…_bring in Dark Kat_."

"_Rodger!"_ replied the wings of the squadron's formation.

Static clung to the transmission from the head aircraft.

"_Let's bring the heat!"_

It ended with the weapons system operator's occupant giving a loud _"w00t w00t."_

Feral couldn't help but smile.

"Damn insubordinate rookies."

Lieutenant's Jake Clawson and Chance Furlong were neck-and-neck with the _Doomsday Express_, fighting to get a lock on their missiles.

"Chance, how long are you able to keep a stable trajectory?" asked the pilots WSO (Jake).

"Not 'til we're free of the trade towers," came a pre-occupied grunt, "In other words: not long."

"_Lieutenants, fall back!" _came the voice of the left wing of the now three-jet formation, _"Repeat, fall back! It's too dangerous to pursue! Over!"_

"_Negative. We're bringing in Dark Kat!" _Chance replied, angered at the thought and thus yelling through the band,_ "You get back to base and grab yourselves some doughnuts, fat asses!" _

"_Those kat's are two crazy bastards!"_

They grinned at this as they headed through the narrow crevice between the massive sky-scrapers. It boosted their moral to see the other two other enforcer jets break pursuit.

"Chance he's got a weapons lock on Enforcers Headquarters," Jake said in an uneasy tone.

"How long you need buddy?" asked Chance, bringing the jet to max thrust, "'Cause I can get it to ya."

(A/N: Mach 2 for those who don't know their SK's)

"Five seconds s'all I need..." Jake said warping his face in concentration, "...or dinner's on me tonight."

Chance's eyes lit up at the thought, "You're on sure shot."

Four seconds later the exhaust trail from an enforcer missile could be seen, finding its mark and disabling Dark Kat's weapon system.

**(Aboard the Doomsday Express)**

Dark Kat laughed maniacally.

"At last! My chance to destroy the justice machine protecting MegaKat City!"

He continues laughing, unaware of the missile's trajectory for the hull of his crimson ship. As the missile made contact, Dark Kat jolted forward. A static electrical pulse erupted from the weapons control panel.

An instinctual panic consumed his purple hulk as he shielded his eyes from the sparks, recovering shortly after.

"Damn it!" He growled, frantically pressing the buttons and pulling switches and levers "My missiles won't fire!"

A few seconds passed as he checked other systems, all still within operational limits. Then he smirked.

"Finally, the enforcers are a source of resistance! As an old war saying goes: 'if all fails, run! Live to conquer another day!'"

Veering off, he tried his escape.

**(Back in Chance and Jakes cockpit)**

**"**_Yeah!" _Shouted Jake, "His weapons systems are down! One more missile and its 'Goodbye, Dark _Crud_."

The radio clicked back to life.

"_This is Feral! Fall back! Repeat, fall back! Dark Kat's mine!"_

"Negative commander," snarled an enraged Chance over the enforcers' band, "We have a missile lock. Dark Kat's our tag!"

"_Rookie, this isn't a suggestion! It's an order! I repeat, _stand down!_"_

Ending the conversation, Feral barreled into their six (rear), and without further communication, clipped their wing trying to get the upper-hand.

Chance felt the sudden snap from a cable, and tried to get a response from the starboard wing.

"Fuck!" Chance grunted, wrestling to keep their bird air-born, "He took out my stabilizer cables! We're goin' down!"

"Damn it!" cursed Jake, "We're outta the game. Chance, we have to eject!"

"I can land us…grunt...Jake," Chance struggled.

A hand reached over his seat and touched his shoulder.

"It's not worth dying if we can get back in the skies. Chance…we need to eject!"

Chance gave a sigh of defeat. He reached for a handle twisted and pulled, blasting off the canopy, met with a cold blast of air.

"You're right, bud… On three."

As their chutes opened, they saw the empty jet make contact with the re-fuel station's main tank, igniting its contents. It consumed the top third of their units' new headquarters.

**(In front of what's left of Enforcers HQ)**

Chance and Jake stood at attention, amazed at the damage a standard pursuit had caused.

Embers slowly burned into their slate gray uniforms from the remains of the new enforcer building. Intoxicating fumes of polyester and jet fuel filled the air. They could only stare at the plaster and rubble as it fell from the skies like demons retreating from the gods. Jake slowly shook his head at the damage,

"This is a monumental disaster, Chance."

"Hell of a loss, Jake," Chance agreed.

All hope drained from his face. Silence befell the two pilots as their superior stepped in front of them. They gave a smart salute and waited for it to be dismissed.

"This is the last act of vandalism you two shall _ever_ perform on this city, you _insubordinate hot heads!_" roared Commander Feral.

Again, Chance's temper got the better of him.

"But sir, it was our tag! It's _your_ fucking head that got in the way of the mission, not ours!"

Commander Feral showed the two rookies his fangs, hoping for the intimidation factor.

"But it was _you_ who disobeyed a direct order from a higher commanding officer!" he hissed, "This 'accident' is on your hands, not mine! As far as I'm concerned, you have just been disgracefully discharged from the force!"

He was hoping for another chance to tear into them, but was surprised when the pair just stared him down.

"Suits us!"

Jake and Chance chucked their helmets at the ground and spun in the opposite direction.

Feral heard Lieutenant Furlong growl, "Who needs to put up with this shit anyway!"

"Hold the hell up!" Commander Feral hollered, flashing an evil grin, "I said you were off the force…, but there's also the matter of paying for the damage you two hot-shots are responsible for, which you'll be doing at the military salvage yard for a long, long time."

**(Enforcer Locker Room)**

Chance thrust his fist in the nearest thing possible. It ended up warping the metal to the locker of an unlucky Sergeant Steele, spilling out all the contents of his kinky, perverted fantasies. Chance got even more enraged at the sight, spitting at the pile he continued to thrash the locker until it was a pile of military shrapnel.

"Control yourself, buddy," came the angered, yet concerned voice of Jake, "You're only gonna make matters worse!"

"Fuck it all, Jake! It doesn't matter anymore! Feral's taken everything from me: my hopes of getting married, having children...hell, I'd never get to see them graduate college if anything happened, let alone be able to pay for it!"

Chance slid down a wall in complete agony as he bawled his heart to his best friend.

"Chance… Chance, stop it!"

Tears steamed down Jake's matted, damp facial fur. Reaching in his pocket, he pulled out a small, deep, velvet box. He opened it, revealing a beautiful platinum wedding band. It rested peacefully in a satin pillow.

"I know how you feel. I was going to propose to _her_ tonight...but I can't. No. I won't bring down the she-kat, the one I love the most, with me!"

Chance turned to face his best friend.

Jake shuddered and slumped to the ground, no longer able to control of himself any longer

"My one chance at a family is also gone too, you know," he whimpered.

Rage caught up with him and he roared, "_Feral's fucking ego cost me everything!_"

Chance looked at the kat in front of him, seeing no remnants of his friend in the stranger's face.

"Jake, I… You never told me …"

There was a momentary pause and a sniff.

"Chance, the only reason I never told you is that I thought you'd try to get between us… Your sister meant everything to me…"

Chance could only watch his friend's pain. In hopes of comforting him, he grabbed Jake in an affectionate embrace, weeping silent tears.

"Jake, I'm hurt… In all truth couldn't be happier she found such a fine kat, honest! Jake, when we find a way, I'll make sure she's in your arms."

With that Jake wept even harder in Chance's strong embrace, those last few words repeating in his mind.

"When we find a way," he whispered.


End file.
